June 14, 2017 AT 5:00 am

How to Wear the Gratification of Applause #WearableWednesday #wearabletech #art #fashion #arduino

Studies have already shown that social media and email are a lot like slot machines—you keep checking them hoping for a payoff. That’s why Zoe Mahony’sApplause Collar is the perfect blast from the past. Although it was shown at the Haptic InterFace show in 2014 it is even more relevant today. Beautiful macramed cords circle the neck and cascade down the body like a proud cape. Hidden within the rows of knots are white LEDs which will only display with the noise of hand claps. There is an elegance to the piece which gently mocks our need for attention. It is an endless loop as the more people discover the light show, the more they want to applaud. Loops are the theme here, with cord, circuit, applause and approval. Although the parts aren’t listed, I imagine an Arduino with a mic which triggers the LEDs. It is the fashionable applause meter and I’m so glad that it has emerged again on Vimeo. If you are interested in making a project that reacts to sound, check out our learning guide for the VU Meter Baseball Hat. You can transform any piece of clothing into a sound reactive light show! Warning: You will get applause.